Is Your Business Phone System Good for Business?
Late last summer, a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12.6 million, more than doubling the record for collectible sports cards. A few months earlier, a single page from a classic Spider-Man comic book sold at auction for a record $3.36 million.
Don’t count on that vintage business phone system to fund your retirement, however. In fact, if your system is more than 10 years old, it’s likely costing you thousands of dollars each year in maintenance and infrastructure costs — not to mention opportunity costs arising from missed connections and lost business.
Some analysts estimate that nearly half of U.S. small to midsized businesses (SMBs) are hanging on to outdated, legacy phone systems to avoid the costs of an upgrade. Most operate under the assumption that everything is fine as long they have dial tone, but they could be flirting with a major communication meltdown.
As with most technology, business phone systems become more unreliable and prone to outages as they age. Repairs also become more challenging once manufacturers start phasing out services and support. You can be left scouring aftermarkets for PBX servers, routers, gateways and other gear that likely will be pricey and of unknown quality.
Even if things seem to be running smoothly, outdated business phone systems create liabilities in three other important ways:
Limited functionality. Older systems lack the advanced communication and collaboration features today’s mobile and remote employees require to do their jobs effectively. You are at a competitive disadvantage if your office phones don’t integrate with mobile phones and support text messaging, email, conferencing, file sharing and other features.
Lost productivity. Inaccurate, inadequate or delayed communications can make it impossible for employees and teams to complete tasks on time and within budget. Poorly coordinated projects can result in duplication of efforts, overlooked tasks and cost overruns. Modern on-premises IP-PBX systems and cloud-based platforms that support multiple communication channels drive a 10 percent increase in employee productivity, according to analysis from Forrester Research.
Unhappy customers. Most people today expect to be able to use phone, text, email and even social media to connect with sellers, service providers and business partners. If you can’t make those connections, there’s a good chance customers will look for someone who can. According to Forrester’s analysis, updated phone systems help generate revenues and improve customer experiences through enhanced collaboration, streamlined communication and improved problem resolution.
A modern IP-PBX from 3CX can eliminate those issues and deliver a consistent, reliable communications experience across multiple devices and locations. Leveraging the Internet Protocol (IP) to move both voice and data traffic, an IP-PBX enables communication over multiple channels through a single interface. Additionally, all channels can be accessed from a mobile phone, allowing users to move from a desk phone to a computer softphone to a mobile device without missing a beat.
For most SMBs, 3CX’s hosted solution is an even better choice. These cloud-based systems deliver all of the business-class features of an on-premises IP-PBX without the upfront acquisition costs. 3CX houses the equipment and handles all the management requirements, including updates, patching and monitoring. Because 3CX owns the equipment, you don’t have to worry about it becoming outdated or obsolete. 3CX continually implements new features and software updates to ensure you always have access to the latest functionality.
As a longtime 3CX partner, IronLogix has the expertise to help you evaluate the various subscription options and select the right one for your business. We will then provide professional installation and setup, along with long-term management of the solution.
Unlike baseball cards and comic books, business phone systems don’t age well. If your system is nearing vintage status, give us a call to discuss how an IP-PBX solution from 3CX can deliver significant business value.